Clothesline reel



y 1 c. A. SUNDSTRAND 2,250,281

" v CLOTHESLINE REEL' Filed March 22, 1939 Q mmp Patented July 22, 1941UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE REEL Carl A. Sundstrand,Rockford, Ill. Application March 22, 193 9, Serial No. 263,337

7 Claims. (01. 242 96) This invention relates to a new and improvedclothesline reel.

Clothesline reels as heretofore designed have been objectionable becauseof the strain imposed upon the wrist in holding the same While windingor unwinding the line, and the operation of most of the reels with whichI am familiar was awkward and tedious. It is the principal object of myinvention to provide a clothesline reel of a different design in whichthe handle is centrally disposed in the reel in the plane of center ofmass so as to eliminate the objectionable cantilever action whichimposed such a strain on the Wrist in the reels of other design, wherebyto make the reel simpler to operate and more efiicient and lessfatiguing.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a reel in whichthe handle extends diametrically in bisecting relation to a centralstationary ring-shaped bearing unit, and the rotary body of the reel isarranged to be turned thereon by means of a knob projecting from oneside thereof whereby to facilitate still further the operation of thereel.

Still another object consists in the provision of a reel in which theparts are designed to be stamped from sheet metal with minimum waste ofmaterial and so that the number of operations necessary are reduced to aminimum, with a View not only to reducing cost of manufacture but alsobuilding in strength, rigidity, and durability.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig.1 is a side view of a clothesline reel made in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the handleturned to a position in the plane of the section;

Fig. 3 is a similar cross section showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational detail of the handle portion of the reel shownin Fig. 3, containing a sectional detail to show the handleconstruction.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughoutthe views.

The reel shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a reel-body 5 rotatablymounted on a ring-shaped central bearing unit 6, which has a handle 1extending diametrically therein. The peripheral annular guiding recess 8in the bearing unit 6 receives an annular inwardly projecting runner 9provided on the rotary reel-body 5 with ample clearance so that the bodycan be turned with respect to the bearing unit by means of the knob Ill.The fact that the handle 1 is thus located in the central plane throughthe reel, which planei of course passes through the center of massof thereel and the clothesline wound thereon, obviously eliminates anycantilever effect on the wrist when a person supports the reel bygrasping the handle I. The wrist is furthermore in a naturalposition andthere is therefore nothing awkward about the operation of the reel. Inwinding up the line, the reel-body 5 can be turned by means of the knob10, and when paying out line one can turn the reel-body by means of theknob in the opposite direction, or let it turn freely; Due to thepresence of the knob, the operator will'invariably pick up and operatethereel always one way, and in that way there is no danger of gettingthe line twisted as there is in many other designs of reels. There isample space Iefton opposite sides of the handle 1 within the ring-shapedbearing unit 6 for the thumb andfingers of the hand in grasping thehandle.

The reel-body 5 is formed similarly to the reelbody- 5a shown in Figs. 3and 4, namely from two pieces of sheet metal stamped to substantiallyidentical truncated conical form so as to provide diverging annularwalls II and I2, and matching cylindrical portions l3 and i4 slightlylarger in diameter than the bearing unit 6. In both cases, the body 5 or5:1 can be given added stiffness and .better appearance by formingradial ribs I5 therein and by curling the peripheral edge portions asindicated at It, the curling being of further benefit in eliminatingexposed sharp edges.

Where the reel, as in Figs. 3 and 4, is to have a stationary centralhandle la, diametrically extending web portions I! are left in thepunching of the blanks and are stamped substantially to channel-shapedcross section to lend strength and at the same time give added thicknessto the handle la, which is formed by the registering Webs I! of the twostampings forming the reelbody 5a. The edge portions Ila of the two websare bent inwardly, as clearly appears in Fig. 4, so that there will beno sharp edges exposed on the handle la.

' In both cases, however, the one stamping a or a is formed with aninwardly projecting annular flange l8, and the other stamping b or b isformed with a wider inwardly projecting flange l9, which has itsmarginal portion 20 folded over the inner edge portion of the flange [8to join the stampings together into an integral body, and, in the formFigs. 1-2, form the runner 9. It is therefore apparent thatthere is verylittle difference in the production of the complete twopiece reel shownin Figs. 3 and 4 and the production of the body for the reel shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

The bearing unit 6 for the reel of Figs. 1 and 2 is formed from twosheet metal rings 2| having diametrically extending web portions 22,which are arranged to be riveted together as at 23 prior to the placingon opposite sides of these web portions of the wooden'cleats 24, fromwhich the handle I is formed. Rivets 25 are passed through the cleats 24and the webs 22 to join the cleats together as shown and at the sametime further secure the two halves of the ring-shaped bearing unit 6together by their web portions 22. opposite ends of the webs 22 are bentoutwardly, as at 26, to connect to the annular inwardly projectingflanges 21 provided on the rings 2|. These flanges are so spaced as toprovide the annular guiding recess 8 previously mentioned.

for reception of the runner 9 on the reel-body 5. The cylindricalportions l3 and M of the body turn on the periphery of the rings 2|, andthe runner 9 merely holds the body in place on the bearing unit byprojection into the annular recess 8 thereof.

The stamping a of Figs. 1 and 2. has an embossed portion 28 on which theknob I is mounted on a rivet 29 disposed parallel to the axis of thebearing unit 6 whereby to make for easy turning of the reel-body 5.

In both reels akey-hole-shaped slot 30 is provided in one of thestampings to permit extension outwardly from the windingchannel of aknotted end on the clothesline, which upon being entered in the taperedsmall end 3| of the keyhole slot will be securely anchored and thusfacilitate winding the line on the reel.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding ofthe objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims havebeen drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications andadaptations.

I claim:

1. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sectionshaving their central portions open and in juxtaposition and securedtogether, the outer annular portions of said sections together providingan annular Winding recess therebetween, and said sections having narrowintegral web portions extending diametrically across the open centralportions and disposed in register and abutment with one another jointlyto form a handle for supporting-said reel,

2. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said web portions are bothformed to channel cross section with the open sides of the channelstoward one another, substantially as and for the purpose described. 1

3. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said sections has aradially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the open centralportion thereof and the other section has a similar flange thereon, theinner edge portion of which projects radially inwardly beyond the edgeof the first flange and is folded laterally and outwardly over the edgethereof to secure the sections together.

4. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said web portions are bothformed to channel cross section with the open sides of the channelstoward one another, the longitudinal edge portions of saidchannel-shaped webs being extended inwardly and said inturned edgeportions being disposed in face to face abutment when the two sectionsof the reel body are fastened together, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

5. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sectionshaving their central portions open and in juxtaposition and securedtogether, the outer annular portions of said sections together providingan annular winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sectionshaving a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the opencentral portion thereof and the other section having a similar flangethereon, the inner edge portion of which projects radially inwardlybeyond the edge of the first flange and is folded laterally andoutwardly over the edge thereof to secure the sections together and alsoprovide a runner to operate in a circular bearing, a bearing ringproviding an annular recess in which said runner is rotatably engaged,and a supporting handle rigid with said ring.

6. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sectionshaving their central portions open and in juxtaposition and securedtogether, the outer annular portions of said sections together providingan annular winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sectionshaving a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the opencentral portion thereof and also forming a runner to operate in acircular bearing, a bearing ring comprising two ring-shaped sectionsadapted to be placed in juxtaposition on opposite sides of said runnerand conformed relative to one another to provide an annular guidingrecess rotatably receiving said runner, and each of said ring sectionshaving a diametrically extending integral web portion, said web portionsabutting and being secured together to hold the sections in assembledrelation while providing a handle for supporting the reel.

7. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sectionshaving their central portions open and in juxtaposition and securedtogether, the outer annular portions of said sections together providingan annular Winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sectionshaving a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the opencentral portion thereof and also forming a runner to operate in acircular bearing, a bearing ring comprising two ringshaped sectionsadapted to be placed in juxtaposition on opposite sides of said runnerand conformed relative to one another to provide an annular guidingrecess rotatably receiving said runner, and each of said ring sectionshaving a diametrically extending integral web portion, said web portionsbeing flat and disposed in abutting relation, handle cleats abuttingopposite sides of said registering webs, and means passing through thecleats and webs to hold the parts together.

CARL A. SUNDSTRAND.

